Artificial limb.



N. I. HLKENNEY.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23. I917- Patented Sept. 17, 1918.

UNITE STATES fPATE-NT rem.

NEHEMIAH JAMES HENRY KENNEY, or LONDON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOIR. "r0 CAMBRIAN' ARTIFICIAL LIMB coMrANY,'or CARDIFF, SOUTH WALES.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 23, 1917. Serial No. 150,426.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NEHEMIAH JAMns HENRY KENNEY, engineer, residing at the Hampden Club, Phoenix street, St. Pancras, London, in the county of Middlesex, England, have invented a new and useful Improvement in and Relating to Artificial Limbs, of which the following is a specification.

and more particularly, to the foot portion of artificial legs, the object of my improve ments being to obtain a movement of the foot, which, while being practically identical with the movement of the natural foot, is simple in construction and comfortable to the user of the artificial limb.

The accompanying drawing is illustrative of my invention Figure 1 being a view in side elevation partly in section of my improved construction of artificial leg;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation to a larger scale of the mechanism in the foot, and

Fig. 3 is a section on the line zv-w in Fi 1. p

In carrying out my invention, I utilize the side vertical metal straps or rods a as usually employed in an artificial leg to carry the weight of the user and to which is pivoted the foot portion 6 of the limb. The rods are-connected to the foot portion by means of an upper horizontal more or less tapered bolt 1 at approximately the ankle of the foot, and the two rods a, a, are continued downwardly and slightly forward toward the toe of the foot, where they are connected by a second horizontal bolt 2. This latter bolt fits tightly in the ends of the rods a but is free to move horizontally toward the heel and toe of the foot, together with the ends of the rods to which it is attached. In its normal position the bolt 2 rests against the pad or buffer 3 upon the heel side, and an adjustable compression spring 4 at the toe side of the foot. The compression spring 4 is held in position at its outer end by means of a plate of leather or suitable material 5 which has a pro ection 5 centrally arranged My invention relates to artificial limbs,

for retaining the spring, and at its inner end by means of a fork 6 which abuts against the bolt 2. The pressure of the spring is regulated by the addition of one or more suitable pads or buffers 5 inserted at the back of the plate 5. The front face of the bolt 2 is rounded and the fork 6 is curved so that the latter can fit and slide over the bolt when the limb is in use.

If now the upper portion of the limb contained in the bucket 0 is moved backward, thus causing the heel of the foot to press upon the ground, the lower ends of the side bars a will press the lower bolt 2 forward against the spring 4. which is thereby compressed and the foot can remain fiat upon the ground. When the foot is raised from the ground the spring 4 immediately returns the foot to'its normal position, and a lifelike action is obtained, while the foot being flexibly connected by the springs as described, great comfort and ease in use is enjoyed by the wearer.

The toe portion d of the foot may be padded with strips of felt or the like sewn or attached together so that spaces are left be- Patented Sept. 17, 1918.

tween each two strips for the insertion of or more compression sprmgs 8 are interposed between the two portions to return the. toe to its normal position.

The spring attachment described may be contained in a light metal case let into the body of the foot portion of the limb. 1

Although I have described two side straps a, it will be obvious that a single rod or bar may be employed and arranged centrally in the leg portion of the limb, in which case the rod or bar would be forked at its lower end to carry the bolt 2.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In an artificial leg a pivoted foot having housed therein a, horizontal spring one end foot against Which the other end of the of which is provided with a fork bearing spring bears and is held in position by am against a bolt carried by the lower extremiprojection upon the said abutment, substanties of Vertical supports extending up the tially as herein described.

5 sides of the leg, a pad against Which the belt rests, and an abutment toward the toe of the NEHEMIAH JAMES HENRY KENNEL Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents eabh, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, 11.0. 

